A treasure is growing wild in Ghana—it is the fruit from the shea nut tree. Industrious women produce highly sought-after shea butter by grinding shea nuts (the pit of the shea fruit). Villagers have long been using shea butter to help relieve dry skin, lips, and hair that is caused by the Harmattan (the dry, dusty winds that come to West Africa during the winter months). Local demand for shea butter surges when these winds blow across the Sahara Desert. [1]
In addition to providing relief to villagers in West Africa during the Harmattan, shea butter is a great source of income for the women of northern Ghana. In fact, it is such an important income source for Ghanaian women that it is commonly referred to as “women’s gold.”[2] When the bright green fruits of these tenacious trees ripen and fall, hard-working women venture out to the fields and begin to harvest the fallen fruits— the first step towards producing their high-demand product.
After the fruit is harvested, the nuts are par-boiled and the outer shell is removed. Then, the nuts are cracked (or ground) and roasted before pounding (or milling) them to extract the oil. [3][4] After several more steps, this time-consuming and laborious process eventually produces shea butter; a product that will be sold for use in a variety of products including moisturizers and cosmetics. Shea butter is also used as an alternative to cocoa beans for making chocolate.
Middlemen buy the shea butter and oil from the women and it is resold to industry giants such as The Hershey Company for use in their products. [6] More direct involvement in these types of business transactions by Ghanaian women could help them increase their income and independence. With more education, they could learn how to play a larger role in the marketing, exportation and distribution of their products. Africa does not have any shea butter refineries yet. [5] Perhaps the women of Ghana can work together to expand their role in the manufacturing process by opening a refinery.
The opportunities that come with increased education are boundless. With education and training, women can learn:
- essential computer skills,
- English and other languages that are spoken by foreign buyers,
- general business practices, and
- negotiating skills
You can help create new opportunities for women in Africa. Help provide vocational / work related training by making a donation today!
Help women take control of their future. Donate towards a microfinance loan for a small business!
Sources:
1. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=342062
2. http://www.rootcapital.org/portfolio/stories/empowering-women-through-shea-butter-production-ghana
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVTKF7wXXIw
4. http://vermontsoap.com/making-shea-butter-in-ghana-and-guinea/
5. http://thechronicle.com.gh/shea-butter-booms-in-northern-ghana/
Images
Nut from Vitellaria paradoxa, used to make Shea butter: https://flic.kr/p/h5MD4v
